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US SMEs facing tougher times
Confidence has fallen for six consecutive months among small businesses in the US, say new statistics from the National Federation of Independent Businesses. The Small Business Optimism Index fell 1.8 points to 88.1. Companies surveyed cite “poor sales” as the most important problem, as increasing numbers of firms reported lowered expectations of future sales; 34 per cent expect declines over the next three months while only 21 per cent expect their situations to improve.